DCE-MRI (dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging) is a physiologic MRI technique that quantifies perfusion (or permeability) in a target tissue. However, due to the variability in quantitative perfusion parameters across MR imaging platforms, the use of DCE-MRI in multi-center trials has been very limited. Imaging phantoms simulating characteristics of the human body have been developed to allow for system calibration or pharmacokinetic model studies. However, those existing phantoms are too bulky to be imaged concurrently with a test subject, making it impossible to compensate for MR signal fluctuation (during image acquisition) or the variation of quantitated values between acquisitions. Additionally, the calibrated data that is obtained using these existing phantoms is not directly applicable to images acquired with different protocols, even if the same type of machine is used. Third, the high cost of such phantoms restricts the potential of routine clinical use.
Thus, there is a need for an imaging phantom that addresses one or more of the deficiencies of existing imaging phantoms. For example, there is a need for an imaging phantom that can compensate for variations between image acquisitions and/or allow for normalization of data obtained using varying imaging protocols.